MATURE READERS SHORTLIST - PANDA 2011 Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. In a futuristic world, teenaged Nailer scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers for a living, but when he finds a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide if he should strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl.
Egan, Jennifer. A Visit from the Goon Squad. Bennie Salazar, who put aside his days as a punk rocker to be a record executive, reminisces about his younger years while he remains naive to the inner workings of Sasha, the mid-thirties woman who works with Bennie and harbors a penchant for stealing.
Fey, Tina.Bossypants. From her humble roots growing up in Pennsylvania to her days doing amateur improv in Chicago Fey gives us a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of modern comedy.
Gomez-Jurado, Juan. The Moses Expedition. Father Anthony Fowler, who works for both the CIA and the Vatican secret service, and Andrea Otero, a journalist, become involved in a secret archeology expedition to Jordan, set up by a reclusive billionaire who hopes the team will recover the Ark of the Covenant.
Kwok, Jean.Girl in Translation. Ah-Kim Chang and her mother immigrate to Brooklyn. Kim's perseverance earns her a place at an elite private school where she is befriended by Annette, who helps her adjust to American culture.
Murray, Paul. Skippy Dies. The death of fourteen-year-old Skippy, who was found dead on the floor of a donut shop, sheds light on a mystery that links the boys, parents, and teachers of Dublin's Seabrook College.
Pierson, D.C. The Boy Who Could Never Sleep and Didn't Have To. Darren knows that if there’s anything unique about you, men in suits and dark glasses will show up and take you away. Then, Darren discovers that his new best bud, Eric, has a superpower: he literally never sleeps and never has to!
Rosoff, Meg. The Bride’s Farewell. Pell Ridley, having left home on the day she was to marry her childhood sweetheart with the intention of finding a more fulfilling life, meets a poacher with whom she travels through the countryside, but soon becomes overwhelmed by her emotional ties to her family and lover.
Silvey, Craig. Jasper Jones. In small-town Australia, teens Jasper and Charlie form an unlikely friendship when one asks the other to help him cover up a murder until they can prove who is responsible.
Wallace, Jason.Out of Shadows. Robert Jacklin is thrown into the aftermath of war when his family moves from England to Zimbabwe in the 1980s. When he is enrolled in a prestigious boarding school he faces racism and violence and must make a difficult decision as a group of white boys decides to protest the country's new government.
Weing, Drew. Set to Sea. A poet yearns for the sea, but his writing on the subject falls flat, even to his own ears. Then, one night, he is shanghaied onto a clipper ship destined for Hong Kong and gets to find out about life at sea first hand.
Zulkey, Claire. An Off Year. Upon arriving at her dorm room, eighteen-year-old Cecily decides to postpone her freshman year of college and return to her Chicago home, where she spends time thinking about her options and what she really wants to do with her life.
Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. In a futuristic world, teenaged Nailer scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers for a living, but when he finds a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide if he should strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl.
Egan, Jennifer. A Visit from the Goon Squad. Bennie Salazar, who put aside his days as a punk rocker to be a record executive, reminisces about his younger years while he remains naive to the inner workings of Sasha, the mid-thirties woman who works with Bennie and harbors a penchant for stealing.
Fey, Tina. Bossypants. From her humble roots growing up in Pennsylvania to her days doing amateur improv in Chicago Fey gives us a fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of modern comedy.
Gomez-Jurado, Juan. The Moses Expedition. Father Anthony Fowler, who works for both the CIA and the Vatican secret service, and Andrea Otero, a journalist, become involved in a secret archeology expedition to Jordan, set up by a reclusive billionaire who hopes the team will recover the Ark of the Covenant.
Kwok, Jean.Girl in Translation. Ah-Kim Chang and her mother immigrate to Brooklyn. Kim's perseverance earns her a place at an elite private school where she is befriended by Annette, who helps her adjust to American culture.
Murray, Paul. Skippy Dies. The death of fourteen-year-old Skippy, who was found dead on the floor of a donut shop, sheds light on a mystery that links the boys, parents, and teachers of Dublin's Seabrook College.
Pierson, D.C. The Boy Who Could Never Sleep and Didn't Have To. Darren knows that if there’s anything unique about you, men in suits and dark glasses will show up and take you away. Then, Darren discovers that his new best bud, Eric, has a superpower: he literally never sleeps and never has to!
Rosoff, Meg. The Bride’s Farewell. Pell Ridley, having left home on the day she was to marry her childhood sweetheart with the intention of finding a more fulfilling life, meets a poacher with whom she travels through the countryside, but soon becomes overwhelmed by her emotional ties to her family and lover.
Silvey, Craig. Jasper Jones. In small-town Australia, teens Jasper and Charlie form an unlikely friendship when one asks the other to help him cover up a murder until they can prove who is responsible.
Wallace, Jason.Out of Shadows. Robert Jacklin is thrown into the aftermath of war when his family moves from England to Zimbabwe in the 1980s. When he is enrolled in a prestigious boarding school he faces racism and violence and must make a difficult decision as a group of white boys decides to protest the country's new government.
Weing, Drew. Set to Sea. A poet yearns for the sea, but his writing on the subject falls flat, even to his own ears. Then, one night, he is shanghaied onto a clipper ship destined for Hong Kong and gets to find out about life at sea first hand.
Zulkey, Claire. An Off Year. Upon arriving at her dorm room, eighteen-year-old Cecily decides to postpone her freshman year of college and return to her Chicago home, where she spends time thinking about her options and what she really wants to do with her life.